Subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter to receive writing and grammar tips. Learn more about other commonly confused words with my online Business Writing course. Raven has the letters AVEN in it, which stand for affect-verb-effect-noun. Grammar Girl suggests thinking of a raven to help you remember the difference.

The storm affected my mood, but I used an umbrella so the rain had no impact on my hair-do. The thunderstorm affected my mood, but I used an umbrella so the rain had no effect on my hair-do.īecause many people confuse affect and effect, some people use impact instead of effect. Affect is both a noun and a verb, but it is almost always used as a verb, meaning, to influence, change or alter. Occasionally effect is used as a verb, meaning to cause or bring about a result. They’re pronounced similarly, and in their most common meanings they both refer to change, but they have different grammatical roles: Affect is a verb that describes the act of producing a change in someone or something. Occasionally affect is a noun when used in a psychological context to mean feeling or emotion. Affect and effect are two related words that are commonly confused. The weather affected the outcome of the Grand Prix. Unfortunately, there are a couple of exceptions.

New technologies continue to affect how we live. The easiest way to distinguish between affect and effect is to think of affect as a verb (doing word) and effect as a noun (naming word). Affect is a verb meaning ‘influence or cause someone or something to change’: The cold weather has really affected her health.

I do have that effect or affect